She Didn't Have Time
by obsessedwithstabler
Summary: She could've been afraid to fall in love that night, but she didn't have time...


Hola, everyone! Sorry about the lack of updates, but I was on another forced hiatus, then I moved. But now everything's slowly calming down, and I've got a bunch of new stories, songfics, and updates for everyone. So hold on tight, cause here we go again! The song used in this story is the beautiful Terri Clark song, She Didn't Have Time. Enjoy, and please remember to review!

Disclaimer: Okay, I asked for them for my birthday, but Wolf still wouldn't give 'em to me! The meanie!

This songfic is dedicated to onetreefan, for all the chats and underwear stealing. Love ya, partner in crime!

She stood at the front door, watching through tearfilled eyes as he loaded his things into the car. He loaded the last of the boxes into the trunk, then slammed it shut.

"You're a good woman, Olivia, but I'm not right for you. You're better off without me. I'm not what you need," he muttered as he climbed into the front seat.

Her mom had said the same thing about him whhen they had started dating, and now her words were ringing all too true in Olivia's ears. She wiped her eyes and watched him pull out of the yard, thinking that even a stranger would have shown more compassion than that.

She stood on the porch for a few more minutes, until a tiny wail from inside of the house pulled her out of her thoughts, and she went back inside.

"Hey, hey, hey," she murmured, lifting her six month old daughter into her arms. "Don't cry, sweetheart. Mommy's here. I'm not going anywhere."

She slowly walked over to the old rocking chair in the corner of the nursery and sat down in it, humming as she rocked her little girl back and forth.

"It's just you and me now, Emma," she whispered as she watched her daughter yawn and kick her legs. "But we're going to be just fine. I promise you that."

_He said goodbye from the edge of the porch _

_Like she'd been some casual friend _

_He said, "You're better off without me, I'm not what you need"_

_Like her mama had said about him _

_He started the car, pulled out of the drive _

_Didn't waste any time looking back _

_She watched him go, thinking even a stranger _

_Would show more compassion than that_

_She could've cried, but she didn't have time _

_She had a baby to feed, a pink blanket to find _

_To rock their little one to sleep _

_She could've laid in bed for hours _

_Giving misery the power _

_But she didn't have time_

"Mommy!" Emma caled as Olivia walked though the front door, and she smiled as her daughter ran up to her and threw her arms around her waist.

"Hey there, sweetie! Did you have a good day?" Olivia asked, picking Emma up in her arms.

"Yup!" she answered, revealing her two missing front teeth. Olivia hugged her daughter, then set her back down on the floor. "I made this for you, Mommy," the five year old announced, presenting a hand drawn picture of herself and her mother.

"Oh, Emma," Olivia sighed happily as she looked at the picture. "This is absolutely beautiful." Emma beamed and watched as Olivia stuck it to the fridge with a magnet. Then Emma bounded off to the table, and Olivia turned to the babysitter.

"How was she?" she asked, and the young woman smiled.

"An angel, as usual, Liv," Paige replied, wiping her hands on her jeans. "I need to get going. I've got some studying to do."

"Of course," Olivia said, handing Paige a twenty dollar bill. "Have a good night."

"You too," Paige called over her shoulder as she walked though the front door.

The door shut, and Olivia walked back over to the kitchen table where her daughter was coloring in her coloring book. "Mommy?"

"What, Emmy?"

"Why don't I have a daddy?" Emma asked innocently, and Olivia's heart dropped to her feet.

She swallowed, then asked, "Why are you asking, sweetheart?"

"Well, all of the other kids at my school have daddies. Why don't I?"

Olivia sighed and sat down beside her daughter, resting her elbows on the table. "Emma, you did have a daddy. But when you were little, very, very little, he went away."

"Why did he go away? Didn't he love me?" Emma asked.

Olivia knew that these questions would come someday, but she still wasn't prepared to answer them. "I... I don't know why your daddy left, baby," she murmured, wrapping her arms around her daughter. "But you have me. And you know what?"

"What?"

"I love you more than a million marshmallows," Olivia laughed as she tickled Emma.

Emma squealed, then said, "And I love you more than a million Reeses Pieces!"

She tickled her some more, then said, "Why don't you show me what you learned at your piano lesson today?"

Emma nodded and jumped out of her chair, and Olivia followed her to the piano that sat in the corner of the living room.

_She got a sitter, and she got a job _

_Cause she had a promise to keep _

_Her day was a factory, and evening survival _

_At night was exhaustion and sleep _

_Sometimes she felt life was passing her by _

_And watching was all she could do _

_Her friends said, "You've got to get out of the house _

_And maybe you'll meet someone new"_

_She could've tried, but she didn't have time _

_She had a five year old to feed, she had ballet classes _

_Piano lessons, and T-ball, little league _

_She could've laid awake for hours _

_Giving lonely nights the power _

_But she didn't have time_

Olivia hummed as she guided the shopping cart full of groceries out to the car, and she unlocked the trunk, then began placing the bags inside. Once she was finished, she pushed the cart into a line of other carts, then returned to her car.

As she passed the back, she caught sight of the back tire, and a frown creased her forehead. "No, please, no," she muttered, crouching down beside the tire. She reached out and touched it, then sighed in frustration when she realized that it was flat.

She looked around, realizing belatedly that she had left her cell phone at home, and she didn't know how to change a flat tire herself. "Oh, God," she moaned, covering her eyes with her hand.

"Flat tire?" a deep voice asked, and Olivia looked up into the most brilliant pair of cerulean eyes that she had ever seen in her life. "Need a hand?"

Olivia raised one eyebrow and pushed herself to her feet, brushing her hands against her jeans. "I'm sorry, and you are?" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

The man chuckled and reached itno his pocket, saying, "My name's Elliot Stabler, ma'am. I'm an NYPD detective." He fished his wallet out of his pocket, then opened it and handed it to Olivia.

She looked at the gold badge for a moment, then handed it back to him. "Can't be too careful," she said softly, and he nodded. "My name's Olivia, and yes, my tire's flat."

He knelt down beside the tire, then looked up at her and asked, "Do you have a spare tire in the trunk?"

She nodded, and he opened the trunk, then looked began switching the tires out. In a few minutes, the new tire was securely in place, and Elliot was placing the old one in the trunk.

"Thank you so much, Mr. Stabler," Olivia said with a smile, and Elliot flashed a heartmelting grin at her.

"It's Elliot, if you don't mind, ma'am," he corrected her as he closed the hood of her trunk.

"Okay, Elliot. And it's Olivia, if you don't mind," she stated with a smile. "You're really helping me out here, Elliot. I really appreciate it."

"You're more than welcome, Olivia."

She reached into her purse and dug around as she said, "How much do I owe you?"

He chuckled throatily and crossed his arms over his broad chest, saying, "Olivia, I'm not going to accept any money from you."

She looked at him strangely, then closed her purse and slung it back over her shoulder. "Well... thank you again," she murmured, brushing her bangs out of her dark brown eyes.

"Hey, it's my day off today, and I was wondering... Would you like to get a cup of coffee?" he asked somewhat shyly, and she was surprised by her instinctual trust in the man in front of her.

She thought for a moment, then said, "Sure, I'd love to."

Ten minutes later, Olivia and Elliot were sitting on a park bench, laughing as they drank their coffee. "So, what exactly is it that you do?" Olivia asked curiously.

"I... I'm a detective with the Manhattan's Special Victim's Unit."

"And what do you do there?"

"I work with... victims of rape and sexual assault, and children," he answered, and she sensed pain in his words. He looked away for a moment, then said, "It's hard, but I can't see myself doing anything else."

She stirred her coffee as she mulled over his statement.

"So, what do you do, Olivia?" he asked, his tone a little lighter.

She looked out towards the playground filled with laughing children, and she said, "I work as a secratary at a law firm."

"Must be frustrating," he mused, and she nodded.

_He's handsome_, she thought to herself as she looked at his square jaw and broad shoulder. But what captivated her were his eyes. She had never seen such beautiful blue eyes. She suddenly realized that he was talking to her, and she said, "I'm sorry, what was that?"

"I asked, do you have kids?"

Her heart froze in her chest, and for a brief moment, she considered lying to him. But she crushed the thought, and a few seconds later, she murmured, "She's five." Then she waited for him to make up some excuse to walk out of her life forever.

He watched the laughing children for a moment, then looked at the woman beside him and said, "I saw the carseat. I love kids."

She couldn't believe what he was saying. "What?"

"I love kids. I never had any of my own, though," he said sadly, and she smiled and looked into his eyes. "What's her name?"

"Emma."

"Emma. That's beautiful," he murmured, gently tucking a strand of stray hair behind her eye. She blushed, and he asked, "Does she have your eyes?"

She laughed softly, and they talked for hours as love began to blossom and grow.

_Not time, where would she find the time _

_To trust a man again?_

_Not time for that flat tire _

_A crowded parking lot and then _

_Not time but yes have coffee _

_With the man that got her tire fixed _

_She was thinking, "Gosh, he's handsome"_

_When he asked, "Do you have kids?"_

_She could've lied, but she didn't have time _

_All she said was, "She's five"_

_He said, "I saw the carseat, I love kids _

_Does she have your eyes?"_

_And they sat and talked for hours _

_Giving destiny it's power _

_She could've been afraid to fall in love that night _

_But she didn't have time _

_S__he could've been afraid to fall in love that night _

_But she didn't have time_

The End...

A/N: M'kay, there ya'll have it! Hope everyone enjoyed it, and I'll see ya'll again soon!


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